Anthrax Suspect List `Short'

U.S. & Latin America - U.S. News to Note

February 26, 2002

WASHINGTON --The FBI has identified a "short list" of 18 to 20 people who had the means, opportunity and possible motive to have sent the anthrax-laden letters last fall, law-enforcement officials said. Officials said the list was compiled mostly through tips from scientists and an analysis of people with skills to have made the highly concentrated anthrax spores that killed five people and prompted doctors to prescribe antibiotic treatment for 30,000 people. Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary, said Monday that the FBI had several "suspects" in the case.